180 Covid-19 positives as World Cancer Day is observed

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe.

180 people have tested positive for Covid-19, out of a sample size of 4,580 tested in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health announced on Thursday.

This brings to 101,339, the total confirmed positive cases as the cumulative tests stand at 1,200,302.

Additionally, four more patients succumbed to the disease pushing the country’s cumulative fatalities to 1,773.

“From the cases, 145 are Kenyans while 35 are foreigners. 100 are males while 80 are females. The youngest is a two-year-old baby while the oldest is 88,” Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said.

In terms of County distribution; Nairobi 99, Kiambu 33, Nakuru 8, Kajiado 7, Kisumu 6, Uasin Gishu 5, Mombasa 4, Taita Taveta 4, Nandi 3, Nyeri 3, Meru 2, Busia 1, Kakamega 1, Kericho 1, Kilifi 1, Kwale 1 and Machakos 1.

The 99 cases record in Nairobi are from Westlands (16), Lang'ata (14), Kibra (13), Dagoretti North (11), Kamukunji (9), Starehe (8), Ruaraka (5), Embakasi East (4), Kasarani, Makadara and Roysambu (3) cases each, Dagoretti South, Embakasi North, Embakasi South and Mathare (2) cases each, Embakasi Central and Embakasi West (1) case each.

According to Kagwe, there are 460 patients currently admitted in various health facilities countrywide, while 1,432 are on Home Based Isolation and Care.  26 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 11 of whom are on ventilatory support and 15 on supplemental oxygen.

“Another 16 patients are separately on supplementary oxygen with 12 of them in the general wards and 4 in the High Dependency Unit (HDU),” he said.

Cancer

The ministry has also called for personal commitment in a bid to reduce the impact of cancer, which happens to be one of the underlying diseases that has had a major impact on Covid-19 patients.

As the world marked World Cancer Day whose theme was “I am and I will”, the ministry said the disease had become an issue of public health concern in the country, contributing a significant burden to morbidity and mortality within the health system.

“Cancer is the third leading cause of death after infectious and cardiovascular diseases, with the most recent estimates pointing to an annual incidence of over 42,000 cases and 27,000 deaths,” he said.

He added; “The top 5 cancers diagnosed annually in this country are breast cancer with approximately 6,800 new cases, cervical cancer (5,200), prostate (3,400), oesophagus (2,900) and colorectal 2,724 new cases.”

Kagwe assured that the Ministry had put in place an elaborate policy framework, to guide appropriate interventions, through the Kenya Cancer Policy 2019-2030, and the National Cancer Control Strategy 2017-2022.